Boston Ballet

The boat may not be sinking, but this season finds four members of the ballet company at Milan's La Scala moving elsewhere, and two, following in the footsteps of Kobborg and Cojocaru, made it a last minute announcement.Soloist Francesca Podini has left for Jean-Christophe Maillot's company in Monte Carlo. She is a dancer with a unique physique and probably will find more … [Read more...] about Ballet globalisation continues as La Scala dancers abandon ship

Q&A
When did you start dancing?
I took my first ballet classes when I was about 6 years old. It was in Brussels, and with a Russian teacher married to a Belgian. Her name was Mme de Zeum.After my first class she asked my mother to get me some pointe shoes for the next one, "Her legs are strong." Hence I got my first pair, black as I recall! Maybe because of that, … [Read more...] about Maina Gielgud answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

Boston Ballet has announced its 50th anniversary season, which will start with their tour to London in July at the London Coliseum. Programming for 2013/2014 includes La Bayadère and Cinderella, two cutting-edge repertory programmes with American and world premières and Balanchine’s masterpiece, Jewels. The season will close with a tour to Washington's Kennedy Center, and end … [Read more...] about Boston Ballet’s 50th Anniversary season kicks off in London

One of Boston Ballet’s dancers Keenan Kampa will join Mariinsky Ballet over the next few months, US media say.An official announcement to this effect will be made at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, which has become a venue for current performances by Mariinsky’s lead dancers.Keenan Kampa, 22, is the first US dancer who graduated from the … [Read more...] about Keenan Kampa of Boston Ballet to join Mariinsky

As part of Classical Week on America's Dancing With The Stars, the season’s first “Macy’s Stars of Dance” performance featured three of the most famous ballet dancers in America today, though all three are Cuban. They danced a specially choreographed segment from “Swan Lake.”Lorena and Lorna Feijoo, principles for the San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet, danced with José … [Read more...] about José Manuel Carreño and the Feijoo sisters on Dancing with the Stars

Graham Spicer

Writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name 'Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like.

I was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. My scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times. I write the 'Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times.